1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cellular telephone systems and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for pricing cellular telephone calls based on subscriber location.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional wire-line telephone service providers price telephone calls by taking into account a number of pricing structure parameters including call duration, call distance, time of day and day of the week. The generally fixed nature of the physical plant used to provide telephone service, coupled with the fact that calls are made from one known fixed geographic location to another, allows for the charges associated with providing the telephone service to be easily calculated and published.
The nature of the cellular telephone network, however, wherein system users have little or no geographical restrictions on the locations from which they may place or receive calls, makes the calculation of call charges more difficult. Rates vary based not only on some or all of the wire-line parameters mentioned above, but also on factors such as: which of several available cellular service providers carry the call; and whether the subscriber is roaming outside its own service area. Because the subscriber is generally unaware of how the foregoing factors affect the instantaneous rate calculation for each call, it is unlikely that the subscriber can make anything more than a best guess as to the charge incurred for the call.
There is a need for a method and system for providing cellular telephone subscribers with a cellular service wherein reduced rates are offered for calls originated from or terminated in certain predefined regions or areas of the cellular service area. Such a service should further provide cellular telephone subscribers with information prior to completion of a call connection concerning the charges to be incurred for placing or receiving a cellular telephone call.